US11389366B2ActiveUtilityPatentIndex 60
Measuring method and apparatus for determining the length conditions, the position and/or the radius of movement of the lower extremities of a bed-bound patient
Est. expiryJun 27, 2037(~11 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
A61H 2205/102A61H 1/005A61B 5/6892A61B 5/6828A61H 2201/165A61H 2201/5058A61H 1/024A61H 2201/5007A61H 2201/5069A61H 2001/0203A61H 2201/0142A61B 2505/09A61B 5/1071A61B 5/1121A61B 5/4836A61H 2201/5064A61B 2503/08A61H 2201/1207A61H 2201/1642A61B 5/1072A61H 2201/5061A61B 5/6831A61H 1/0255A61B 5/1122A61H 2205/088
60
PatentIndex Score
2
Cited by
23
References
18
Claims
Abstract
A measuring method determines the length conditions, the position and/or the radius of movement of the lower extremities of a bed-bound patient. A knee module of a rehabilitation mechanism is connected to a point of application of a leg of the patient. A measuring device records and determines a trajectory solely of the point of application during a movement of the leg by the knee module. A model generation device creates a kinematic model from the data. This allows a determination of the length conditions, the position and/or the radius of movement during an initializing movement without having to undertake any surgical intervention. This does away with the need for complex sensor technology and provides a kinematic model of the radius of movement of the patient, the parameters of which kinematic model are used for establishing new therapeutic procedures within the patient's physical therapy.
Claims
exact text as granted — not AI-modifiedThe invention claimed is:
1. A measuring method for determining length conditions, position and/or a radius of movement of lower extremities of a bedridden patient, which comprises the steps of:
operatively connecting at least one knee module of a rehabilitation mechanism to an application point of a leg of the patient;
using a measuring device for recording and/or determining a trajectory solely of the application point during a movement of the leg with the at least one knee module of the rehabilitation mechanism;
creating, via a model-generating means, from data thus obtained, a kinematic model of the length conditions, the position and/or the radius of movement of at least parts of the lower extremities of the patient;
comparing coordinate pairs or coordinate triplets with a model function in a form of a coordinate equation, and in a context of a curve-fitting, a position of a rotation point and/or a length between the application point and the rotation point, and an angle between two points on the trajectory and the rotation point being determined;
using the coordinate equation
(
Y
n
-
M
Y
(
Y
H
)
)
2
L
0
2
+
(
Z
n
-
M
Z
(
Z
H
)
)
2
(
L
0
±
Δ
L
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2
=
1
for an ellipse as the model function, where L 0 ±ΔL represents a possible displacement of the position of the rotation point during the movement;
using as a parameter for a center point of the ellipse, a function according to the position of the rotation point; and
using as a semi-major axis of the ellipse, the length between the application point and the rotation point.
2. The measuring method according to claim 1 , wherein the application point is a knee joint of the patient.
3. The measuring method according to claim 1 , which further comprises securing the application point of the leg to the knee module by means of a knee orthosis.
4. The measuring method according to claim 1 , wherein the measuring device, proceeding from a starting position, records a manually guided and/or automated movement of the leg in a form of coordinate pairs or time-dependently in a form of coordinate triplets.
5. The measuring method according to claim 1 , wherein the measuring device determines the trajectory of the application point in a form of the coordinate pairs or time-dependently in a form of the coordinate triplets, with an aid of at least two sensors from angle positions of eccentrics that are driven by an electric motor.
6. The measuring method according to claim 1 , wherein the rotation point is a hip joint of the patient.
7. The measuring method according to claim 1 , which further comprises:
providing a control module for controlling planned rehabilitation movements of at least joints, muscles and tendons of legs of the bedridden patient by means of the at least one knee module, wherein the control module:
determines, from patient-specific data generated from the kinematic model, trajectories for rehabilitation movements of the leg of the patient with respect to the application point; and
on a basis of the trajectories, controls the at least one knee module.
8. The measuring method according to claim 1 , which further comprises controlling the rehabilitation mechanism and/or the at least one knee module, during a manually guided and/or automated movement of the leg, with an aid of a control module in such a way that an effect of forces along an axis, defined by the application point and a rotation point, through the rehabilitation mechanism and/or the at least one knee module on the leg of the bedridden patient is avoided.
9. The measuring method according to claim 7 , wherein the control module, on a basis of the trajectories calculated for the application point, controls the at least one knee module and/or the rehabilitation mechanism in such a way that the application point is moved along new, modified trajectories with an aid of the at least one knee module.
10. The measuring method according to claim 7 , which further comprises:
after each automated movement of the leg, calculating new values, from each new time-dependently recorded trajectory of application points, for the length between the application point and the rotation point, the position of the rotation point, and the angle between the two points on the trajectory and the rotation point; and
comparing the new values with corresponding values of previously measured trajectories.
11. The measuring method according to claim 7 , wherein on a basis of a comparison of values for:
the length between the application point and the rotation point;
the position of the rotation point; and
the angle between the two points on the trajectory and the rotation point;
in each case of two successively measured trajectories, an updated model with improved values for the length between the application point and the rotation point, the position of the rotation point, and the angle between the two points on the trajectory and the rotation point is generated by means of an optimization algorithm.
12. The measuring method according to claim 7 , wherein values of an updated model serve as a basis for a further automated movement of the leg.
13. The measuring method according to claim 1 , wherein the application point is a hip joint, a knee joint, a lower leg and/or an upper leg of the patient.
14. An apparatus for carrying out a measuring method for determining length conditions, a position and/or a radius of movement of lower extremities of a bedridden patient, the apparatus comprising:
a rehabilitation mechanism having at least one knee module operatively connected to an application point of a leg of the patient and with at least two eccentrics and at least one electric motor for driving said at least two eccentrics on said at least one knee module;
a measuring device for recording and/or determining a trajectory solely of the application point during a movement of the leg; and
a model-generating means for creating, from data thus obtained, a kinematic model of the length conditions, the position and/or the radius of movement of at least parts of lower extremities of the patient, the apparatus with said model-generating means programmed to:
compare coordinate pairs or coordinate triplets with a model function in a form of a coordinate equation, and in a context of a curve-fitting, a position of a rotation point and/or a length between the application point and the rotation point, and an angle between two points on the trajectory and the rotation point being determined;
use the coordinate equation
(
Y
n
-
M
Y
(
Y
H
)
)
2
L
0
2
+
(
Z
n
-
M
Z
(
Z
H
)
)
2
(
L
0
±
Δ
L
)
2
=
1
for an ellipse as the model function, where L 0 ±ΔL represents a possible displacement of the position of the rotation point during the movement;
use as a parameter for a center point of the ellipse, a function according to the position of the rotation point; and use as a semi-major axis of the ellipse, the length between the application point and the rotation point.
15. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein said measuring device has at least two sensors for determining an angle position of a shaft of said electric motor and/or of said eccentrics.
16. The apparatus according to claim 14 , further comprising a control module for controlling planned rehabilitation movements of at least joints, muscles and tendons of legs of the bedridden patient by means of said at least one knee module, wherein said control module is configured to determine, from patient-specific data generated from the kinematic model, trajectories for rehabilitation movements of the leg of the patient with respect to the application point, and, on a basis of the trajectories, to control said at least one knee module.
17. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein said at least one knee module has:
at least one knee orthosis for receiving a knee joint of the bedridden patient;
a connection element connected to said at least one knee orthosis;
an extension arm on which said connection element is secured; and
a mechanical device driven by means of said control module, wherein said mechanical device introduces a defined force into said at least one knee orthosis, via said extension arm and said connection element, in such a way that the joints, the muscles and the tendons of the leg perform planned rehabilitation movements via the application point.
18. The apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein said rehabilitation mechanism contains:
at least one angle sensor which monitors an angle adopted by said connection element to said at least one knee orthosis and/or to said extension arm; and/or
a force sensor which monitors the force introduced into said at least one knee orthosis via said extension arm and said connection element.Cited by (0)
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